Artist Jody Steel Painted Her Torso To Show What It’s Like To Struggle With Body Image

Because body image is something so many people battle with, artist Jody Steel wanted to make a video visualizing what it feels like to feel uncomfortable in your own body. The 22-year-old, whose body-painting videos regularly go viral, released a video this week that illustrates that struggle.

In the video, Steel paints her own midsection to show it twisted into a tiny, painful-looking coil. The image mirrors the small waist that many women are using "waist trainers" to achieve, showing it in a harrowing light.

"This wasn't directed at ONE particular body image issue, but all of them," Steel tells SELF via email. "It's about being healthy and being comfortable in your own skin. Any weight extreme is a challenge. And WHY someone is either underweight or overweight is their own personal struggle and they shouldn't be shamed for it."

The video has been viewed over 46 million times at the time of writing, with commenters praising Steel's ability to capture the inner turmoil. Steel, who has been criticized for being "too thin," tells SELF that she hopes to reinforce the idea that the "ideal" body is simply a healthy one. "Achieving a 'perfect' body image doesn't exist," she says. "People come in all shapes and sizes—tall, short, broad shoulders, long or short legs, and so on. And most of these things can't be changed by diet and exercise. There isn't one perfect body."